1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of processing electronic documents based on hardcopy document images captured by an image capture device. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method and system in which a hard copy of a document is encoded with a mark so that the mark is decoded from an image of the hard copy captured by the image capture device so that an electronic version of the hard copy can be processed.
2. Background of the Related Art
Currently, systems for retrieval of electronic versions of hard copy documents require at least some manual input and are error prone. Information, generally textual or bar coded, such as an account number or an invoice number is either scanned in using specialized scanners or typed in by a data entry operator. The data entered in this manner is then processed to retrieve the electronic copy of the hard copy document. This process is both time consuming and error prone, particularly manual data entry, where a data entry operator has to enter key data (such as a document or account number) to retrieve the electronic document. The result is often retrieval and processing of incorrect documents based on data entry errors by a data entry operator.
Likewise, conventional encoding and decoding of bar codes is tedious, time consuming, and expensive. The bar code has to be encoded to the hard copy, the encoded bar code has to be decoded by a specialized device such as a bar code scanner and the scanned data has to be processed. The specialized bar code processing equipment needed adds to the cost of processing the electronic version of the document.
To solve problems such as those listed above, one prior art solution demonstrated at a Fall 1998 Comdex show, included a system with a staple attached to a document that emits Radio Frequency (RF) energy. The staple is encoded with the document retrieval information for the hard copy document that is to be processed and then affixed to the hard copy document whose document retrieval information is encoded on the staple. This document retrieval information is later retrieved from the energy emitting staple so that the electronic version of the hard copy document can be retrieved. However, this solution also has several disadvantages, including: (i) a specialized staple has be to be encoded and affixed to each hard copy document; (ii) the RF emitting staple is much more expensive than other printing marks created using toner or ink; and (iii) the decoding apparatus is a specialized, single purpose apparatus that does not have uses other than decoding the signal emitted from the energy emitting staple. Furthermore, the affixation of a staple to each document also adds to the weight and volume of the document so that such documents are more difficult to store and transport.